Pangloss
Britishnoun
Other Word Forms
- Panglossian adjective
Etymology
Origin of Pangloss
C19: after Dr Pangloss , a character in Voltaire's Candide (1759)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A few years later, he and Prince worked together on a revival of Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide,” for which he played the pedantic Dr. Pangloss.
From Washington Post • Feb. 6, 2023
Both of you should have the good humor and acceptance to acknowledge you are never going to turn into Dr. Pangloss, nor would you want to.
From Slate • Jan. 24, 2021
Candide's philosopher companion Pangloss offers an analysis of their odyssey, and Candide responds, "All that is very well, but we must cultivate our gardens."
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2020
Named after Dr. Pangloss, the eternal optimist in Voltaire’s “Candide,” the tasting room’s knowledgeable servers tailor wine selections to patrons’ preferences.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2019
The spirit of Pangloss came upon me again as I thought of all I had seen that day,—there was nothing like it in my day.
From Mystic London: or, Phases of occult life in the metropolis by Davies, Charles Maurice
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
